Christmas Spirit
by northernexposure
Summary: Claudia's Christmas goes awry. Utter fluff, I'm afraid. Nick/Claudia
1. Chapter 1

Christmas Spirit Pt 1/3

Author's note: Happy Christmas, everyone. I'm struggling with terrible writer's block at the moment, and also with flu, so this might be utter crap: I have no gauge. It's definitely going to be complete fluff!

* * *

**23rd December**

"Do you know," said Claudia Brown, pushing back the heavy curtain and staring out into the darkening night, "I think the forecasters are right. We might actually have a white Christmas this year – even here, in London."

"They say that every year," Cutter said, absently, jotting something on the pad in front of him before looking up at her over the junk cluttering his desk. "Thankfully, they're always wrong."

Claudia dropped the curtain and picked her way back towards her seat. Cutter's University office seemed even more cluttered than the last time she'd paid him a visit, if that were possible. Finding floor space without breaking an ankle was actually a genuine hazard. It would never be allowed at the Home Office.

Despite her vague disapproval, she couldn't bring herself to dislike the space. It was homely… welcoming, even. Especially now, with Miles Davis playing softly in the background, and an almost-finished glass of Puglia in her hand. Which probably explained why she was still here, when Stephen, Connor and Abby had already gone. It certainly beat her own empty house, mess or no mess.

"Not a fan, then?" she asked, dropping back into her chair, opposite him.

"Guess not. Blame it on too many frozen childhood trips to school." He put down his pen and smiled, blue eyes twinkling. "The Highlands are a harsh place to live in winter. Let me guess, you love the stuff."

"Snow always cheers me up." She looked back towards the window again. "It always makes the world seem so… simple."

Nick had turned his attention back to his notepad, finishing off his last sentence with a flourish. "That's it," he said, with determined finality. "If Lester wants more than that, he can bloody well sing for it."

Lester had insisted that the team conclude all their reports for the year before disappearing for the festive season. Claudia, aiming for harmony, had suggested they turn it into something of a party. It had worked, and what could have been a tiresome chore had become a pleasant afternoon and early evening. A sensible amount of good wine, a few nibbles, a lot of laughter and quite a bit of work later, and the job was done.

"Excellent." Claudia stood up again, holding her hand out for the file, which Nick closed and handed over. "Now, all I have to do is drop these off at Lester's door, and he'll have nothing to complain about for, oh, I don't know – 24 hours?"

Cutter stood, digging his hands into the pockets of his jeans and giving her a grin that flipped her stomach over. Claudia pulled the file close to her chest, crossing her arms over it. It occurred to her that she wouldn't see him for more than a week, unless an anomaly appeared. She tried not to think about why that seemed wrong.

_You work with him,_ Claudia told herself. _It's a bad idea. You work with him, it's a bad idea. Oh, yes, and he has a wife. You work with him, it's a bad-_

"Well," said Cutter. "I suppose all that's left is for me to wish you a merry Christmas and happy New Year, Claudia Brown."

She smiled. "You too."

He nodded, but didn't say anything as he moved around the desk and leaned against it, dislodging a pile of books in the process. They slid gracefully onto the floor. Cutter didn't seem to notice, lost in thought.

"Um," said Claudia, "Well, I'd better be going. See you on the second." She moved to step past him and then surprised herself by leaning in and kissing him quickly on the cheek. His jaw was rough. She caught the clean, sharp scent of soap from his neck, and tried to ignore the knocking of her heart. "Thank you for everything this year, Nick," she said, as she straightened up. "Without you this would be so much more difficult."

"You're welcome," he murmured as she moved away.

Outside, the sky was deep and clear, scattered stars glinting brightly over the cold Earth. Claudia paused as the door slipped shut behind her, and breathed in the winter air. Her heart was still banging against her ribcage.

_Honestly,_ she told herself, annoyed, _get a grip, for God's sake. You're too old to be this affected by a whiff of bloody soap!_

But it wasn't the scent of the soap, she knew. It was the hint of intimacy that it evoked, the idea of the parts of his life she knew nothing about but increasingly found herself thinking about.

Shaking her head, Claudia headed for her car. She'd kept a close eye on her alcohol intake and knew she was well within the limits. As she walked along the darkened path, her mind wandered. Claudia loved Christmas. It wasn't the religious aspect of it. It was simply the colours, the general excitement in the air, the bright and simple joy of collective celebration. The coldness outside that made being inside and warm so cosy.

Too bad she didn't have anyone to celebrate with. But then, she reflected, if she just spent a little more time looking in the _right _places, instead of the _very wrong_ ones, maybe she'd find someone. Someone that wasn't out of bounds, someone who's life revolved around things rather more contemporary than extinct creatures. Someone _else_ who could make her heart beat faster just by smiling in a certain way. In fact, someone who was actually interested in her would be a good start…

Miles away, Claudia didn't see the ice until it was too late. Her boots were no match for it – her feet shot out from beneath her and she screamed. Slamming on to her back, her head hit the ground with a resounding crack. Darkness swallowed her whole.

* * *

Nick stared at the book in front of him, and realised he'd re-read the same paragraph four times. Swallowing the last of his wine, he rubbed his eyes and glanced at his watch. Cutter was shocked to see that he'd been sitting there alone for two hours, mind rotating endlessly around the same fifteen seconds.

She'd leaned in to kiss his cheek. Nick hadn't been expecting it, was instead trying to find the words to ask if she wanted to go somewhere else, get some proper food, maybe. And it was over before it had really begun, but he'd been left with the feel of her lips brushing his jaw, and the smell of her hair.

_Idiot!_ He berated himself. _Pull yourself together. She probably went from here straight to dinner with some suited-and-booted banker. Or accountant. Or lawyer. Or doctor…_

Not that he'd ever really consciously thought about it, but Nick assumed that Claudia's 'type' would involve a suit. She herself was always smart, even when she was aiming for casual. She was just that kind of woman - the kind that never had a hair out of place, even when she actually _did_ have a hair out of place. It was an aura of correctness, of order, perhaps. Whatever it was, it didn't fit with Nick's own humdrum lifestyle. Or rather, it meant he'd never in a million years fit with hers.

And yet, he could still smell the fragrance of her hair. And she'd stayed, long after the others had gone. He could easily have dropped off the reports himself. Maybe-

His meanderings were interrupted by Ian, the security guard.

"I know, Ian, I know," he said, reaching for his jacket as the portly man waggled his eyebrows – and a large bunch of keys. "I lost track of time. Again. Sorry."

"No worries, Professor. I'm a bit late myself, what with all the excitement."

"Excitement?" Nick asked, only half listening as he hunted for his car keys.

"Didn't you hear the sirens? I 'ad to call the ambulance. Someone slipped on the ice outside. I've been filling in a ton of paperwork since, in case of a law suit. I keep telling 'em they need more lights out there…"

"Who was it?" Nick asked, frowning, attention still focused on locating his errant keys. "No broken bones, I hope?"

"Well, I didn't recognise her. Out cold, she was. Pretty thing. The paramedics had to dig through her pockets to find some ID. What was her name, now…"

Triumphantly, Nick spotted his keys and scooped them up, turning to Ian as the security guard's face registered recognition.

"Claudia, that was it."

Nick froze. "_What_?"

"The woman's name. Claudia."

"Claudia Brown," said Nick, horrified.

"That was it! 'Ere, do you know 'er?"

Nick's heart pounded, a cold sweat of fear drenching him. "Ian, was she okay? Where did they take her?"

"Like I said, Professor, she was out cold. Must have really cracked her head."

"What hospital, Ian?"

"I, uh… I don't know – the Whittington, I guess, that's the closest, ain't it?"

Nick pulled on his jacket, "Is it? Are you sure?'

"Yes – look, I'm sure she's okay, Professor-"

Cutter was already half way down the corridor. "I've got to run. Switch off the lights, will you, Ian? Thanks!"

* * *

The A&E department of Whittington NHS hospital was, predictably, packed. The waiting room was overflowing, a melee of wailing children and ashen adults, all of whom had likely been there for hours.

Nick fought his way towards the reception desk, where two harassed looking staff nurses were dealing with the Christmas storm of alcohol-induced accidents and winter ailments.

"I'm looking for Claudia Brown," he told one of them, over the din. "I think she was brought here by ambulance about an hour and a half a go."

The nurse searched her screen and nodded with a weary smile. "Cubicle six. Down the corridor…"

Nick headed in the direction he'd been pointed, dodging hospital staff rushing to and fro as he made his way to the curtained cubicle six. Claudia lay pale as milk against the hard hospital gurney, her hair spread out around her. But, to Nick's relief, her eyes were open.

"Claudia?" He moved to her bedside.

She squinted up at him, evidently in pain. He saw blood in her hair, and realised her head was resting on a pad of bandage.

"Nick?" she asked, hoarsely. "What – what are you doing here?"

"I just found out what happened. God, are you okay? I'm so sorry – I didn't hear the sirens-"

The curtains were whisked to one side as a crisp young man in a white coat entered.

"Ahh, good. You're the boyfriend, I take it? Miss Brown's had a nasty knock to the head, but it's only minor concussion. I'm going to give her some painkillers, but they'll knock her out. We would have had to send her home in an ambulance, but if you can drive her, so much the better."

"No," Claudia began weakly, "He's not-"

Nick cut her off. "It's fine. I'll take you home."

She relaxed, smiling her thanks, as the doctor thrust a cup of water and two large tablets towards her.

"You'll have a cracking headache for a day or too, so best to sleep as much as you can," he told her, helpfully. "It'll be a quiet Christmas for you this year. I'll send a nurse in with the discharge papers."

"You didn't have to come," Claudia said, still barely speaking above a whisper as the Doctor left. "I'm fine, really. I was stupid – just didn't look where I was going."

Nick pulled up a chair and sank into it, suddenly weak as the adrenaline fled. "I'm just glad you're okay. The security guard told me you were out cold, and I thought… Well, I couldn't just go home."

Claudia smiled at him wanly as the nurse came in and waved a clipboard and pen under her nose. She wished them a merry Christmas as she left, and Nick realised they'd been taken for a couple again. It was hardly surprising, he supposed, but it made him realise there must be someone else out there waiting for her.

"Is there someone I can call for you?" He asked, wondering if there was someone he didn't know about waiting for her to come home.

She shook her head, and regretted it, wincing as she put a hand to her temple and swaying slightly. Alarmed, Nick held a hand out to steady her. He half-thought she should stay where she was for a few more hours, but the nurses were already stripping the bed for the next patient. Instead Nick found himself sliding an arm around Claudia's shoulders to guide her through the busy corridors.

* * *

By the time they pulled up outside her darkened house, Claudia's head felt as if it were trying to float away from the rest of her body. Whatever those painkillers were, they were _good_. Instead of the splitting pain, there was only a gathering numbness and increasing sense of unreality, as if she was wandering through the turgid world with cotton wool stuffed in her ears. It was really rather pleasant.

Nick jumped out and hurried around to open her door, helping her out. He slipped one arm around her again as he kicked the door shut. She thought about pushing him away, but was finding it difficult to get her legs to work. And, somewhere in some treacherous part of her mind that hadn't quite embraced the complete notion of feminism, it felt nice to be looked after.

Nick took her bag and found her key without a word, letting them both in. It was dark within, and cold, and Claudia noted absently that the central heating timer must have switched off again.

Cutter guided her into the living room and lowered her onto the sofa. She kicked off her shoes, immediately sinking towards the cushions. It was getting harder to keep her eyes open.

"Claudia?" Came Nick's voice.

"Is it Christmas Eve yet?" She asked, voice muffled by a rising tide of exhaustion.

"Uh… no. It's about 10.30. Little while to go yet. Look, I'm worried about leaving you on your own."

"I'm fine. Really. I'm just going to sleep here…"

"The Doctor said you'd feel rough for a couple of days. There must be someone expecting you for Christmas. I should call them, let them know what happened."

"No one's…. no one's expecting me," she mumbled. "I'm fine. It's fine, you can… Thank you. You can go… I'll be fine."

"What about your family? Are they coming here? Maybe they can come earlier?"

"No... No family..."

"What? What do you mean?"

"I don't-" Claudia tried to sit up, suddenly aware she was being very rude, but she couldn't get her body to work. "I don't have any family. I'll be fine, really…"

"Claudia?"

"Mmm?"

She thought he was saying something, but couldn't make out the words. She floated gratefully into sleep on a cloud of medication.

* * *

"Claudia?"

It was no good, she was spark out, still wearing her coat and with her feet still trailing on the floor. Whatever they'd given her really had knocked her for six. Probably a good thing, he decided. Nick gently lifted her legs onto the sofa, but removing her coat would have meant a little more manhandling than he was prepared to attempt.

He looked around the still-dark room. He couldn't leave her like this – he'd at least have to try finding the boiler. Taking off his jacket, Nick draped it over her sleeping form and went in search of the thermostat.

Nick was slightly shaken by the half-conversation he'd had with Claudia, from which he'd gathered that she'd be here, alone, for Christmas. Even though he spent his own Christmases alone, and even when Helen was around they'd never really made much of an effort, for some reason the idea of Claudia being alone over the festive season seemed wrong, somehow. He realised with a jolt that somewhere in his head, as barely acknowledged as it was, he had a romanticised image of her in a giant jumper and big socks, brilliant smile lighting the room as she sat beside a Christmas tree, opening presents.

_For God's sake, Cutter,_ he asked himself, _what the hell is wrong with you?_

He found the boiler, and listened as the house creaked into life. Still worried about her keeping warm until the place heated up, he stuck his head into several rooms until he found her bedroom and retrieved a thick blanket he found resting at the end of the elegantly-made bed. Pushing away an unbidden image of Claudia in it, he hurried out again, closing the door behind him and making a concerted effort not to register anything else in the room. He was having enough problems keeping all thoughts of her professional as it was, without giving him a frame to fit them into.

He briefly wondered if he should try to bring her upstairs – she'd be sure to have a better night's rest in her own bed – but decided against it almost immediately.

_Make sure she's okay, and get out of here,_ he told himself, as he draped the blanket over her unconscious form.

But standing there, looking down at her, the task was easier said than done. The painkillers were working for now, but she'd obviously had a terrific knock to the head. It was going to hurt like hell when the anaesthetic wore off. She wouldn't feel much like doing anything at all tomorrow, or probably for the rest of the week. Not much of a Christmas at all.

Nick glanced up, and noticed a pile of something on the dining table. With a frown, he walked towards it in the dark, trying to work out what it was. If it were a pile of dirty plates, he could at least wash up for her before leaving. But his hand struck something far more abstract. He held something spherical up to the weak light cast by the moon and finally realised what he had in his hand. It was a bauble – they were Christmas decorations. Claudia had obviously intended to decorate her front room, though, as he looked around, there was no sign of a tree.

Thinking that perhaps she'd left it out the back and he could bring it in, Nick headed for the kitchen, which was also in darkness. He flicked on the light, unsurprised by its simple elegance, which was echoed throughout the house. An old AGA stood at one end of the flagstoned room, which was dominated by a sold square pine table. Going to the back door, Nick illuminated the garden light, but could see no sign of a cut tree.

He paused for a moment, intuition sneaking over him. Decorations out but no tree. And they'd only finished work today. What if she's been waiting for Christmas Eve to do all the things she needed to do? What else hadn't she done yet?

Walking to the fridge door, Nick pulled it open to find it almost empty. A pint of milk, a half-empty box of eggs and an old carrot were all that graced it's cold interior.

"Arse," he muttered to himself, glancing at his watch. It was close to 11pm, on the day before Christmas Eve. Would anywhere even be open at this time of night? There had to be a 24 hour supermarket somewhere around here, didn't there?

Five minutes later, he was pulling his car out of it's parking space, Claudia's house keys jangling in his pocket.

**

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

**24th December**

Claudia woke to a painful throbbing sensation that emanated from behind her left ear. She kept her eyes shut, gingerly reaching up one hand to probe the pronounced bump. Wincing, Claudia wished she hadn't woken. She had a feeling that the pain was only going to get worse.

When she did open her eyes, the first thing she saw was the tree. She blinked, astonished. It stood in the curve of the bow window, five foot high and perfectly decorated. She blinked, wondering if she was hallucinating. Or maybe she had amnesia. Had she bought a tree and forgotten about it?

Shaking herself into movement, Claudia sat up, slowly, and realised she was covered by a blanket. She was also still wearing her coat. Swinging her legs over the side of the sofa, she had to pause for a moment before she could stand. Lights danced in her eyes, and she wondered if getting up was such a good idea.

But the tree…

Claudia walked towards it in wonder. Ever since she was little, she'd loved Christmas trees. Decorating the family one had always been a big event – she, and her mother and father, all helping to turn the front room into a festive wonderland. In her child's mind, it had marked the beginning of Christmas proper.

Of course, they were both gone now, but she always tried to have a tree, even if she was alone.

It was beautifully decorated with all the mementoes she had collected over the years. There was the miniature reindeer she had bought for her mother when she was ten, and the blown-glass bauble painted with spindly white winter trees that her father had bought her.

The fairy lights were off. But, even though Claudia could see sunlight creeping in around the edges of the drawn curtains, she wanted to see the tree properly lit. Dropping to the floor, she sat cross-legged and reached for the light switch.

The tree came to life as she pushed the switch, lights twinkling along the branches and shining through the multi-coloured baubles. She was so transfixed that when the voice spoke, she almost jumped out of her skin.

"Hey, you're awake. How're you feeling?"

Claudia turned, a little too sharply for comfort. Nick was sitting up, having obviously been slumped in one of her armchairs.

"Nick!"

"Sorry – didn't mean to make you jump."

Claudia struggled to her feet, and felt the blood drain from her face. Nick was by her side in an instant, taking her arm to help her to the sofa.

"You shouldn't move around too much," he told her.

"Did you – did you sleep here?" She asked, mind a little befuddled.

Nick looked uncomfortable and shrugged slightly. "Sorry. I didn't plan to. But it was so late… I sat down for a bit – must have fallen asleep."

Sitting, a perplexed Claudia looked between the tree and Nick, who crouched before her. "You put the tree up?"

He glanced at it, clearly embarrassed. "It… it seemed like a good idea at the time. You had all your decorations out, and I knew you wouldn't feel like shopping today. So I thought I'd grab one for you. And then I thought I might as well put it up. Sorry…"

"Sorry? What are you sorry for?"

"Maybe I shouldn't have –"

"You should," she reassured him with a warm smile. "It's beautiful, and I love it. Thank you. You're right: I wouldn't have been able to get one myself after last night."

He smiled back at her, and her breath caught. Suddenly electricity sparked between them, and her heart turned over as Nick's gaze dropped to her lips. Then he blinked, suddenly, and looked away. The moment was broken as he pushed himself to his feet.

"I _am _going to have to get myself together and go out today though," Claudia said, in a rush, to cover the confused moment. "As usual, I've avoided doing any shopping and if I don't get something today I'll go hungry for Christmas!"

Nick had turned away from her, but she saw him shake his head. "I uh – you don't need to worry about that," he said. "I grabbed you a few things while I was out."

Claudia's surprise was complete. "You went shopping for me?"

Nick turned towards her again and offered a smile, though he didn't quite meet her eyes. "Well, I didn't want you to starve. And I feel kind of responsible for your accident. It did happen on my campus."

"You're not responsible for my inability to pay attention to where I'm walking, Nick," Claudia told him, though she suddenly remembered just where her attention had been at the precise moment her boots had struck the ice. A hot blush spread over her cheeks, and she looked down, willing herself to overcome it. "Thank you. You've been really kind."

"It's the least I could do," he muttered. "But now, if you think you'll be okay, I'd better get going. Got a few things to get myself."

Claudia looked up, trying not to let her disappointment show. "Of course. I'm sure you've got a big day planned tomorrow. Are you off up to Scotland?" A terrible thought occurred to her, "Oh no, I haven't delayed you, have I?"

"No, no. I'm not going anywhere. I don't really do Christmas."

She blinked. "So you're – on your own?"

This time he did meet her eyes. "Yeah. I'll probably see Stephen for a drink on Boxing Day. We usually get together. But Christmas – Christmas I tend to avoid."

Claudia nodded, "Oh."

"Is there – is there anything else you need before I go?"

_Yes,_ she thought, _I need you not to go. I need you to stay… Please stay… _Claudia clamped down on her inner voice. She'd be fine on her own. She always was. Although…

"Um. I'm sorry to keep you. But could you spare another half an hour? I really need a shower – I feel disgusting – but I'd be a bit nervous about taking one with no one here. I don't need you to check on me, or anything," she said hurriedly, seeing his expression. "Well, only if I'm not out in twenty minutes or so…"

He stared at his feet. "Sure. I can do that."

* * *

_It's a funny world,_ Nick thought to himself as he stood in her kitchen, breaking eggs into a bowl. He could hear water running in the pipes upstairs, and glanced at his watch. She'd been in the shower for ten minutes. He was anxiously keeping an eye on the time. The anxiety was partly because Nick wasn't sure she should be standing up long enough to take a shower in the state she was in, and partly because if he didn't hear the water stop running soon he'd have to go check on her. It wasn't that the idea of walking in on Claudia in the shower wasn't an attractive one. It was just that being here – in her house, in an oddly domestic, if illusory, situation – was beginning to play havoc with his self control. And the last thing she needed at the moment was for a work colleague to start playing the dirty old man card.

_She needs you here as a friend,_ he told himself firmly. _Just forget everything else. _

The water stopped running. Taking a fork, he began to beat the eggs. Nick had realised that neither of them had eaten since the party snacks they'd had the previous night. It was now almost 11am, and he for one was starving.

He poured the eggs into a pan as he heard footsteps overhead. On a plate beside the AGA was a pile of sliced Scottish smoked salmon – manna from heaven, as far as he was concerned – and the toaster was primed with slices of thickly-sliced fresh bread.

Another ten minutes and a perfect Christmas Eve breakfast of scrambled eggs and smoked salmon was ready. The kitchen door opened just as Nick served up.

"God, that's better. I actually feel almost human after-" Claudia rattled to a halt. "What's this?" She asked, in astonishment.

"Brunch," he told her, taking in her pyjamas and dressing gown. "Sit down. I'd offer you champagne but I think you'd better stick to orange juice, if you're going to take another pill."

"Champagne?" she repeated, ignoring his instructions and walking instead to the fridge. "Just what did you buy me?"

"Just a few things," Nick said, placing their plates on the table.

Claudia pulled the door open and gasped. "Oh my god!"

"Well," said Nick, defensively, "I didn't know what you'd like. And they were out of turkeys. And you looked like a free-range-organic kind of woman, so I didn't want to get a cheap chicken…"

In actual fact, he probably had gone a bit overboard. But he'd got to the supermarket and been sucked into the crazed panic buying that everyone else seemed to be engaged in. He'd bought a duck, which he thought she could roast for Christmas lunch, and vegetables to go with it, and various cheeses and fruit, and puddings, and…

"Nick, thank you- but I'll never eat all this!"

"Well, you can start by eating this," he indicated breakfast, "before it gets cold."

Claudia sat down, looking a little dazed. But, to Nick's eyes, at least, she was looking better. There was more colour to her cheeks, and her eyes seemed brighter.

"Wow," she mumbled, around a mouthful of scrambled eggs and salmon. "This is amazing."

"My favourite breakfast," he told her. "I'd eat this every day if I could."

"Why don't you?" Claudia asked, taking another mouthful. "If I could cook like this I'd probably have it every day, too."

He shrugged, and before he'd realised what he was about to say, it was out. "It's not the same if you eat it alone."

She stared at her plate. "Yes," she said, after a moment. "I'm sure you're right."

He cleared his throat. "You shouldn't be alone over Christmas," he said. "Even if your parents aren't around, what about friends, or extended relatives?"

Claudia shrugged. "I don't know. I do get invited – and it's not like I've always been alone. I was engaged until last year. So I spent a few with his family."

Nick raised an eyebrow, surprised. This was something he hadn't heard before. Imagine losing a woman like Claudia. Poor guy. "Oh?"

"It, uh… it didn't take," she half-explained, eyes wandering into the middle distance.

There was a moment of silence. "Does Abby know you're on your own? I bet she'd invite you over if she did." She was forever trying to get Nick to join in her family festivities, but the thought made him shiver. The last thing he needed was Abby's parents looking at the middle-aged loner with pity.

Claudia shook her head. "I haven't said anything. I don't want to intrude, anyway. Christmas is a time for families."

He nodded, understanding.

"And you…" she began, tentatively, "you're on your own as well?"

Nick was afraid he knew where this was going. And he couldn't, he couldn't spend Christmas here, with her… It would be crazy. But he nodded anyway.

"So, what are you going to cook?"

He blinked. That wasn't the question he'd been expecting, and he was dismayed by the pulse of disappointment that flooded his belly.

"Uh – I hadn't thought about it."

"You must have some idea!"

"No… it'll probably just be more scrambled eggs. Although it'll have to be without the salmon, as I don't have any."

Claudia stared at him incredulously. "You mean you bought all this stuff for me and nothing for yourself?"

"I didn't think…"

They stared at each other. Nick tried to tear himself away from her gaze, which was threatening to bore right down into his soul. His heart ached with the sudden need to touch her, and he had to stop himself reaching out one hand towards her cheek. She seemed to be holding her breath. Suddenly she blinked, and opened her mouth to speak.

"Nick-"

Whatever she'd been about to say was cut off by the sharp ring of his mobile phone. A second later, hers began to ring, echoing down the hallway from its resting place on the sideboard.

Forcing himself to breath, Nick pulled the phone from his pocket and stared at the incoming number, but with both their phones ringing they already knew what it meant.

"It's the ARC," he told her, "I'll have to go."

"I'll come too – just give me a minute to get dressed." She was already standing up.

"You've got to be kidding me. You're going nowhere."

"I can't just –"

"Yes," Nick told her firmly, "you can. Take another pill, sleep until tomorrow and then get up and have a good Christmas. Okay? I'll call you on Boxing Day to see how you are." He was already heading for the door. If he stopped, he might never leave.

"I don't have a clue how to cook duck!" She protested. "Look, I-"

"It's easy," he told her, pulling on his coat, "prick it all over, rub it with salt, and roast it for an hour and a half, over some sliced potatoes. It'll be great, I promise."

"Nick! _Wait_," she commanded, as his hand reached for the door.

He paused and turned to look at her, and saw something unspoken in her eyes that frightened the life out of him.

"I-" she said, apparently lost of words. Eventually she shrugged, "Thank you. Thank you for – for being here." Stepping forward, she laid a hand on his arm and stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. "Happy Christmas. Again. I'll call Lester and tell him why I can't be there."

He nodded, quashing the urge to pull her close and kiss her properly. A moment later, he closed the door behind him.

**

To be continued


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note:

Okay, so I know this is about six months late. I'm really sorry - have been insanely busy. I don't think this is very good, but I'm determined to finish it. Although, since it's now almost high summer, I doubt anyone will be very interested!

xxx

**25th December 2008 am**

It was dark, it was damp, it was cold, and he'd been crouching in the same position for 45 minutes. Cutter tried to shift his weight from one leg to another, but discovered they had both lost all sensation. His movement disturbed the branches concealing half of his team. He heard Connor's voice in the darkness, a harsh whisper from somewhere behind his left shoulder.

"You okay, Professor?"

Cutter grunted. "Just trying to restart the circulation in my legs," he whispered back. "Any sign of movement out there?"

He detected a slight ripple in the gloom - Connor shaking his head. "Nothing," the younger man said. "Really, I reckon they've stopped to have a nap. This was not how I thought I'd be spending my Christmas Eve, if I'm honest. My Mum's going to kill me for not being home. I'll have missed the roast chestnuts, and everything. At this rate I won't even be there for the official present opening."

Nick twisted his wrist, flicking the light on his watch and glancing at the time. It was approaching 5.30am, Christmas morning 2008. His thoughts involuntarily wandered in Claudia's direction, as they had done repeatedly since he'd left her earlier the previous day. He wondered how she was doing. She should be asleep, curled up under that white duvet he'd seen on her bed.

He shut off that train of thought immediately. "Yeah," he muttered to Connor, "yeah, well, I can think of places I'd rather be, too. But we can't have a herd of hypsilophodon loose in Epping Forest. All we have to do is wait for Ryan and his team to bring them back down this way." Cutter pushed aside some of the leaves, looking down the shallow incline the other side of the foliage. At the bottom of the slope was the anomaly, glinting and spinning silently in the night. The idea was to make sure the Home Office team got the whole herd through the anomaly in one go. Cutter and Connor, on one side of the planned run-route, and Abby and Stephen on the other, were to hide until Ryan and his men had created what would basically be a stampede. Their job would be to make sure no straggling herbivores tried to head anywhere but the anomaly.

His attention was suddenly caught by a faint, silent, vibration in his pocket. Pulling out his mobile phone, Cutter looked at the blinking screen. It was a text message from Abby, crouching not more than ten feet away across the clearing.

WORRIED ABOUT CLAUDIA, it said. HAVE YOU HEARD FROM HER?

WITH ANY LUCK SHE'LL BE ASLEEP, he texted back. I'LL CALL HER LATER.

"They alright over there?" Connor asked, watching Cutter drop the phone back in his pocket. Nick was about to reply when a distant rumbling began to shake the ground around them. "I think this is it, Connor..."

"Well, either that or we've discovered a new volcano in Epping forest."

"Ready?" Cutter shouted, over the growing din of prehistoric creatures calling as they crashed closer, through the undergrowth.

"Not really!"

"Don't worry - they're herbivorous!"

"Yeah," shouted Connor, "But they're still heavy buggers, aren't they?"

In the end, Ryan's plan proved to be quite sound. There were a few hairy moments as some of the panicked hypsilophodon tried to make a break for it. The sight of Abby standing her ground in front of one of the frightened creatures wasn't one Cutter would like to see again any time soon, but as usual he seemed more bothered by the incident than the plucky zoologist. It only took another hour or so to herd the dinosaurs through the anomaly. Ryan's team stayed behind to make sure nothing else came through before it closed, leaving Cutter, Stephen, Abby and Connor free to leave.

They fell into step beside each other, exhausted and drained. Nick looked at their faces, feeling guilty.

"I'm sorry," he said, "Christmas is going to be a bit of a wash out."

Abby flashed him a wan smile. "Nah. I'm still planning to have fun. I haven't seen my family for ages - I called Dad and he's going to come pick me up from home in an hour or two. I'll have a nap and be right as rain in no time. It's Claudia I'm worried about. She really shouldn't be on her own after what happened."

Connor nodded, adding, "She was saying the other day that she'd left everything until the last minute, because we'd been so busy. Maybe we should pop round there and see if she needs anything."

"She's fine," Cutter interjected. "She doesn't need anything."

"Are you sure?" Connor persisted, "What if she needs some shopping, or something?"

"And even if she doesn't need anything like that, I'm just worried about her being on her own with a head injury," Abby added, "from what you said it sounds like she really bashed herself."

"She's fine," Cutter said again. "Really. I saw her just a few hours ago, and she was up and about. The doctors said she just needed to take it easy, that's all."  
Abby frowned. "I thought she slipped over after our party at your office?"

"She did."

"Well - that's two nights ago now. That's a bit longer than a few hours. She might have deteriorated."

Nick winced. He didn't really want to go through an explanation of how he ended up spending the night at Claudia's house, or making her breakfast on Christmas Eve. As far as the rest of the team were concerned, he'd put her in an ambulance and called the hospital later. Not that he'd lied - he'd just left them to work out what had happened.

"I - uh - I popped in to check on her yesterday morning," Cutter said, deliberately not meeting Abby's sharp eyes. "She'd had a good night's sleep and was eating fine."

There was a brief silence as they approached the cars, into which Abby said, "What are you doing for Christmas this year, Professor?"

"You know me, Abby - I'm not a Christmassy guy. And before you ask, thank you, but no."

The girl smiled. "I just thought, if you're on your own, you could check in on Claudia again."

"Oh. Yes - I will. I'll call her in a little while." He glanced at his watch again, "It's still a wee bit early."

"I meant, you could go round and see her. I'm sure she'd appreciate the company."

"Good idea," exclaimed Connor, "In fact, why don't I come with you? My mum's going to be so mad that I - ow!"

Connor stopped abruptly. Nick glanced around to see him glaring at Abby, who was in turn looking resolutely at Cutter.

"You can handle it on your own, can't you, Professor?" She said, with studied innocence. "Connor really needs to get home."

Cutter looked at Stephen, who had been silent throughout this exchange. His friend looked at him with a look of amusement, and shrugged. "Come on, Nick. It's Christmas. Spread the love."

Nick felt his eyebrows shoot up his forehead. "Love?" He repeated.

"Goodwill - whatever," said Stephen, the amusement turning into a grin. "Try being something other than Scrooge this Christmas."

As they said their goodbyes and drove away, Nick was left with the curious feeling of having been the victim of some kind of conspiracy.

xxx

Claudia lay awake, staring at her bedroom ceiling. The clock told her it was just touching 8am, Christmas morning. She had woken to find her head clearer than before, but still tender. The constant dizziness had subsided, however, and this time she wasn't worried about showering alone. Still, her mind wandered back to the previous morning. She'd stood there, letting the soothing hot water cascade over her, minutely aware that Nick was downstairs. Claudia hadn't known then that he'd been making her breakfast, but still - just knowing he was there, waiting for her.

That made her stomach twist in new and interesting ways. That and the fact that he'd come to the hospital to find her, had driven her home and taken her inside and laid a blanket over her. And then he'd gone out and bought her a tree and done her shopping and put the tree up and decorated it.

...and fallen asleep in her chair. Was he like this with all of his friends? Or did his actions show a different kind of care? He'd gone out of his way to make sure she had everything she needed. Claudia had thought she'd seen something in his eyes as he left, but he'd left anyway.

"I should have asked him to stay," she whispered to herself.

But then, if she had, what would have happened? Even if she'd cheated the inevitable humiliation of a refusal, and he'd said yes, would that have been any more comfortable? The way she was feeling at the moment, it was unlikely. Claudia doubted she would have been able to keep things on an even keel. Her mind kept conjuring his face, his hands... She felt like everything had spun out of control, all rational thought having been swept away in a tidal wave of emotion that had been bubbling under for a while. Her nerve endings jangled uncomfortable, but it was exhilarating nonetheless. And yet she knew that that exhilaration was probably masking the truth. She'd allowed herself to become entangled in a daydream worthy of a teenager rather than a grown woman. The reality of the situation was that she had a very inappropriate - embarrassing, even - crush on a work colleague. He was a good and kind man who had looked after her in her hour of need, and the regard he had shown had broken the banks of her good sense.

Claudia shifted under her duvet, trying to get everything straight in her head. She wasn't going to be a slave to this, and that meant facing up to some hard facts. For a start, what were the chances of him being interested in her, really? Pretty minimal. He was older, academic... and married, to boot, in name at least. He constantly talked about things she didn't understand, and must seem like a fraction of a woman beside his capable, self sufficient, adventurous wife. So she was crazy. What did that matter? Helen was far more an equal for Nick than Claudia would ever manage. And the bottom line was, he hadn't come back. She'd stood there in her hallway as he'd left, willing him to say he'd come back. But he hadn't. He'd just left, saying he'd call her. He knew she was on her own today. If he'd wanted to be here, he would be. Listing these things silently had calmed her unruly emotions somewhat. Claudia shook her head. This spilling over must just be part of the head injury. Well, that and the fact that she'd been single for far, far too long.

"Pull yourself together," she told herself sternly. "You're better than this. Get up, have a good day. And next week you can find a date. An appropriate one."  
She climbed out of bed and headed for the shower, Nick Cutter's face still firmly on the inside of her eyelids.

xxx

Cutter hadn't gone home once he'd said goodbye to the team. Instead, he'd driven around in ever-increasing circles, too restless to consider heading back to his empty house. At one point he'd driven past the end of Claudia's road. He'd considered stopping to knock on her door, but reasoned that she'd probably still be asleep. Plus, he didn't want her to feel as if she had to ask him to stay. In all likelihood she probably just wanted to slob out on the sofa.

And there was really no need for him to be there. She was fine - she'd looked so much better after a shower and some food. She didn't need him clucking around her like a mother hen. Outside, it began to snow. Flakes drifted out of the dawning day, settling on his windshield briefly before melting away. He remembered what Claudia had said to him - how she loved snow. He didn't think this little flurry would be enough to make life "simple", but at least it was the White Christmas she'd wished for. He stopped in a layby, staring out into the empty street. No one was about yet. Nick imagined excited children crashing down stairs to open their presents, while parents grabbed a few more minutes precious relaxation before the craziness of the day began. He pulled out his phone and stared at it. He should call her. He wanted to call her. But he'd also begun to want a lot of other things, he'd realised, things that were best kept to himself but that he was afraid would come tumbling out if he was confronted with Claudia again today. The feeling that had swallowed him during his frantic drive to the hospital was terrifying in its plaintiveness. Before, he'd known he was attracted to her. Now, though, he knew it went deeper than that.

"Idiot," he muttered. "As if..."

He moved to put his phone back in his pocket, but it rang before he could let it go. It was Claudia calling. Nick sat and stared at the screen. Maybe he should ignore it? But what if she needed something? What if she was feeling ill again, or had fallen? He clicked 'Answer'.

"Hey," he said, more softly than he intended.

_"Nick. Hi..."_ Claudia sounded hesitant, unsure of herself. _"I'm not interrupting, am I? Are you still in the field?"_

Nick watched more flakes of snow slide down his windshield. The flurry was deepening. "No, you're fine. We sorted the problem."

_"No families of diplodocus plodding around London, then?" _She sounded cheerful, but he detected a slightly forced edge, as if she was deliberately trying to project an air of happiness. He wondered why.

"Nope," he replied, matching her tone. "London's safe for another year. So... how are you feeling this morning?" He looked at his watch. It was 8.30. "I was hoping you'd sleep in. It's the best cure, you know."

_"My body clock decided I should be up, and there was no fighting it," _she said. _"I'm feeling fine. Head's still a bit tender, but I'm embarrassed, more than anything. I can't believe I managed to injure myself quite so badly on a bit of ice."_

"Nothing to be embarrassed about. I'm just glad you're feeling better."

There was an pause, in which Nick tried to work out what to say. Claudia saved him the trouble, speaking into the silence.

_"I'm looking at my tree," _she said, softly. _"It's so beautiful."_

Nick cleared his throat. "Well, I have to confess... for a beginner, I think I did a pretty good job."

Claudia laughed, and the sound plunged straight into his heart. He swallowed as another silence developed, desperately wanting her to ask him over, and at the same time terrified that she actually would. Out of the window, more snow was beginning to fall, and for the first time he realised it might actually lay.

"Have you looked outside?"

_"Not yet. Why?" _

"It's snowing," he said, listening to a rustle as she opened the drapes.

_  
"Oh! A white Christmas!"_

He smiled to himself. "A white Christmas. Just for you, Claudia Brown."

There was another pause, and then he heard her take a deep breath, as if she was preparing herself for something.

_"Nick..."_

He rubbed his free hand over his face. He knew what was coming.

_"Nick, I just wondered... I've got all this food, and I'm here on my own. And I owe you a decent thank you after what you did for me. How about I cook you Christmas lunch?"_

He stared out of the window, trying to make out shapes through the steadily falling snow.

_ "I mean, you'll probably end up helping me in the kitchen,"_ she added, in a rush, _"__so it's unlikely to be the thank you that it should be... and I'm not sure what entertainment I can offer you... but the offer's there. Will you come? Would you like to?"_

Nick tried to find something to say. He wanted to say yes, so much that it hurt. But in his heart of hearts he knew it was a bad idea. What if he did something, said something, to betray what he was feeling? How would that affect their working relationship? He shook his head. No - the fact that he wanted so much to say yes meant he had to say no. Once he was over this thing, once he had it under control - then he could say yes to this sort of invitation. But not now. Not like this.

"Thanks for the offer - but I think I'm just going to go home and crash," he said, through a throat as rough as sandpaper. "I've been up all night, I'm dirty and really wouldn't be great company."

There was a fraction of a pause, before she said brightly, _"Okay. No worries."_

"And anyway, you don't have to do that just because I helped you out," Nick added. "I'd do it for any of you."

_"I know. Have a good rest."_

"I'll call you later - see how you are."

_"Don't worry. Really. I'm fine."_

"Are you sure?"

_"I'm sure."_

"Okay. Happy Christmas, Claudia Brown."

_"Happy Christmas, Nick."_

Nick sat staring at his phone long after she'd hung up.

xxx

To Be Continued...


	4. Chapter 4

Christmas Spirit Part 4

Author's Note - OK, so this is over a year late. Really sorry! This ending is pure fluff, but I hope you enjoy it. Hope you all have a very happy new year! Thanks hugely for reading.

* * *

**December 25 **

Claudia stood in the middle of her kitchen, staring aimlessly out of the window. The snow was still laying, turning her garden into a white winter wonderland. But for once, the snow made the world seem anything but simple. She'd plucked up the courage to ask Nick over for Christmas, and he'd refused. Now she was left feeling like a prize fool - he couldn't have been blind to the teenaged emotions that had driven her invitation. So here she was, alone on Christmas day, pining for a man who would rather consign himself to oblivion that spend time with her. And worse than that, when she faced him again in the new year, he'd know exactly what was in her heart. He'd look at her with pity and, probably, amusement.

She blinked, and had to reach a hand to her cheek to wipe away tears. Claudia shook her head, shocked at herself. This couldn't just be about Nick Cutter, surely. She had a head injury, and it was a bad time of year to be alone, that was all.

"Pull yourself together," she ordered herself, out loud. "You're better than this."

Squaring her shoulders, Claudia crossed to the fridge and pulled open the door, overwhelmed once again by the sheer quantity of food within. She pulled out the duck and some vegetables, dumping it all on the table and staring at it forlornly. She wasn't hungry in the slightest, but she had to find some way of occupying her time. She'd flicked on the television and flicked it off again almost immediately. Her head couldn't cope with the inane noise of children's television, and her heart couldn't cope with the alternatives - romantic musicals that seemed to show that everyone else in the world had someone to love and was loved in return.

With a sigh, Claudia flicked on the radio and found Radio 4, the susurrations of the King's College choir filling the kitchen. She shut her eyes, letting the ancient music wash over her. Yes, this would do. She'd make lunch, and perhaps by the time it was ready, she'd want to eat it. If it was edible. Cooking wasn't something Claudia spent too much time on, usually. Nevertheless, she dutifully put on an apron and washed her hands. No one else was going to make her lunch today, after all.

She was peeling the potatoes when the doorbell rang. It made her jump, unexpected as it was, and she dropped the peeler. Frowning, she headed for the front door, trying to work out who could be calling on her at - she looked at her watch - 11.30am on Christmas Day. She hoped it wasn't Abi, popping by. Not that it wouldn't be a lovely gesture, but Claudia's emotions were so fractured that she wasn't sure she'd be able to stop herself crying on her young friend's shoulder, which would inevitably lead to even more humiliation in the long run.

The last person she expected to see standing on her doorstep was Nick. They stared at each other, Claudia completely lost for words. The snow was still falling, catching in his hair and on his eyelashes, his cheeks flushed pink in the cold.

"Hi..." he said, eventually.

"Hi," she answered.

"So..." He looked away, seemingly as much at a loss as to what to say as she. "It's definitely a white Christmas..."

His mention of the weather brought Claudia to her senses. "Oh god - Nick - sorry, come in. You must be freezing!" She hustled him inside, pushing the door shut after him. "What are you doing - I thought you were going to go home, not wander about in the snow!"

He momentary togetherness was shattered as she looked up to meet his eyes, which were dark and fathomless and fastened on her.

"I did try to go home," he said. "I got there, in fact. Sat outside my house, in my car... But I couldn't make myself go in."

"Oh..?" She asked, feeling her heart thump violently against her ribcage, but trying to control it. "Is something the matter?"

Nick smiled suddenly, a gesture which lit up his whole face and broke the tension. "Well," he said, adopting a lighter tone that helped to mask the echo in his eyes, "I just kept thinking about that poor duck, at your mercy."

"The duck?" She repeated, mystified.

"Yes. I mean, you said you'd never cooked one before. And a duck - well, a duck is a special bird, which makes a special meal. It deserves special attention, not some amateur fumbling."

Claudia felt a smile tug at her mouth at his teasing. "Amateur fumbling?"

"Yes."

"And you thought you'd save it, did you?"

"Yes."

"You're really quite the Knight in shining armour at Christmas, aren't you, Nick Cutter?"

He smiled again, something sparking in his eyes again as he looked at her. "I live in hope, Claudia Brown."

Claudia looked away, feeling her insides tumble into freefall. She had no idea what was going on, or where this was going, or why, suddenly, the day had turned into something infinitely more wonderful than it had been twenty minutes previously. But she wasn't going to push it away.

"Well then," she said, "You'd better show me how it's done, hadn't you, Professor?"

* * *

Nick listened as Claudia hummed along to the hymn playing in the background. She'd tied her hair back loosely, and curling tendrils framed her face as she worked alongside him in the kitchen. They hadn't said much after their initial exchange in the hallway, lapsing into a quiet charged with something he was too afraid to name.

He hadn't been lying when he said he'd gone home. But the thing was, he'd looked up at his dark windows and known that there was only one place he really wanted to be. In his memory he'd heard her voice on the phone, over and over, asking him to come, asking him to be with her. And in the end, there had been no contest. He wasn't a young man, it was true, but that age and experience also let him know that this thing he felt for Claudia Brown - that in fact, he had felt for her since her lips first pressed against his in their first, bewildering meeting - wasn't simply an infatuation that would dissipate if he suppressed it hard enough. And she wanted him there. And whatever else happened, that wasn't something to pass up lightly.

Nick hadn't realised he'd stopped what he was doing and was simply staring at her until she looked up and raised her eyebrows. _What_? She asked, silently. He shook his head, picking up the duck and deftly sliding it into the oven.

"That's all there is to it, is there?" she asked, with a teasing smile, as he adjusted the heat on the oven and set the timer.

"Yup. That's it."

"I probably could have done it myself after all, you know."

He turned to look at her, watching the way her humour lit the hazel of her eyes. "Aye. You probably could have done. In fact, my work here is done, really. I can go off and leave you in peace now, if you like."

Her smile froze for a second, and he thought he saw something like panic in her eyes, just fleetingly. "Don't," she said, quietly. "Stay."

Nick smiled, and stepped closer. "If you're sure..."

"I'm sure. I'm–" she looked away from him for a moment. "I'm glad you came back, Nick. I'm glad you're here. You..." Claudia tailed off, and he could see the blush spreading across her cheeks.

He took another step closer, and raised one hand, pushing back a strand of hair from her eyes. "How's your head?"

"Much better, thank you." She looked up at him, and he could see her mustering her courage, trying to be brave enough to meet his gaze. He'd told himself he wouldn't push anything, that he'd just enjoy her company, enjoy not being alone on this day for once, but ever since he'd arrived there had been something in the air. It had begun when she opened the door and stared at him through shocked, warm... _hungry_... eyes. It had frozen him to the spot, and opened up a whole other possibility that he'd previously been trying to ignore.

"Claudia," he began, but then found he didn't know what to say.

"Yes?" She prompted, voice a little shaky.

He looked down at her and realised there was nothing he _could_ say. Or rather, there was too much to say, and he wasn't the kind of man to say it. _You're beautiful. I think I might be in love with you. I want to hold you. I want-_

"Nick," she whispered, and he realised that she'd read everything in his eyes.

A second went by, and then another, and Nick was suddenly overwhelmed by the epiphany that there are some moments in life that, once they have passed, never come again. And those moments have to be lived in, and consumed, and made the most of, lest they are lost. He reached up, slowly, smoothing her hair away from her face, careful not to pull against her aching head. One thumb brushed gently over her lips as he pulled her towards him until they stood toe to toe, with no space between them even to breathe.

"Claudia," he whispered, but he was only saying her name, because to him at that moment nothing else in the world, in the universe, mattered.

She smiled with tears in her eyes and pressed her hands to his chest. Before he realised what he was doing, he'd leaned down, his lips touching hers with a caress that made his heart soar. Claudia raised one hand to his jaw, deepening the kiss as he wrapped both arms around her. He lifted her up, pressing her closer, needing to feel all of her, to hold her close, and safe, to him.

And then finally, when their lips parted, Nick realised she was crying.

"Claudia? What is it? Oh god, I'm sorry, I-" He began to pull away, terrified that he had misread the situation, horrified that he'd somehow forced something that she didn't want.

She reached for him, pulling him back into her arms and burying her face in his chest. "No... No, Nick, it's not - I'm sorry, I'm sorry to be so emotional, it's stupid..."

He held her to him, stroking her hair with one hand. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong. Everything's right, I just... I just can't believe you're here. I thought-"

"You thought what?"

"I thought you didn't want me. I thought-"

Nick pulled back to look at her, cupping her face in his hands as he shook his head. "You thought I didn't want you? I think... no, I _know_... I _know_ I love you, Claudia Brown. And I can't imagine ever wanting anything else. But I'm just a grumpy old scot who-"

She silenced him with a kiss and so much passion that for a while, neither said anything intelligible at all.

* * *

"So," Nick asked, some time later. "Good?"

Claudia nodded, "Very good."

He looked at her plate, which was almost empty already. "You'll be wanting seconds then, I take it."

"Oh _yes_."

He smiled. "Funny, I never thought of you as a big eater, Claudia Brown."

She raised her eyebrows at him provocatively. "Well, I somehow seem to have worked up a big appetite. Can't think why. Anyway, what's for dessert?"

He couldn't resist leaning over the table and brushing a kiss against her earlobe, breathing in the scent of her hair as he did so. "I have a few ideas."

Claudia pushed him away playfully. "Oh, no you don't. You're not cheating me out of my traditional Christmas pudding, Nick Cutter."

He gave a dramatic sigh. "Rejected for a pile of steamed fruit. Honestly."

Claudia linked his hand through his and stroked her thumb across his knuckle, a serious look crossing her face. "Nick."

"What is it?"

"This isn't just... this isn't just today, is it?"

"What? Us?"

"Yes. I mean - I know things happen when two lonely people cross paths, and I don't - I just..."

Nick grasped her other hand and shook his head. "Claudia. Believe me. You've got me for as long as you want me. Understand?"

Her smile was almost as radiant as the Christmas tree. "Well, then... I guess it really is a Happy Christmas."

He kissed her, savouring the soft touch of her lips against his. "This is nothing, Claudia Brown," he promised. "Just you wait until New Year."

[END]


End file.
